Dramatic Long Beach race may help boost IndyCar's fortunes

LONG BEACH - IndyCar wanted attention in this season of high expectations but failed to get very much for its first two races of the year.

A new car, a manufacturer battle and the best competition in 15 years was supposed to re-energize a dwindling fan base. Instead, sagging television ratings showed no immediate impact on IndyCar's quest to move the dial.

That changed Sunday with some drama in Long Beach. And maybe, just maybe, that might be the trick to attracting the eyeballs the series desperately needs.

The third race of the season was a doozy, reflected by the improved overnight rating for cable channel NBC Sports Network. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach scored a .35, up 21 percent from last year's race, prompting a sigh of relief after the .25 scored two weeks ago in the network's season debut.

The number likely was boosted by NASCAR's elite Sprint Cup Series having the day off, but promotion on NBC's main network and a controversy leading into the race clearly didn't hurt.

The controversy began when Chevrolet arrived in Long Beach and promptly pulled all 11 of its engines from its teams. That should have given Honda a shot at its first win of the season, but that seemed doomed the moment eager rookie Josef Newgarden sailed into the tire barrier attempting a bold pass for the lead on four-time champion Dario Franchitti before they even made it to Turn 1.

From there the race was punctuated by a collision between Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal that sent Andretti's car airborne.A flurry of penalty calls, and some no-calls, fueled conversation, championship contender Scott Dixon was stuck on the course inside his disabled car for most of the race, and, in the end, yet another Chevrolet rout.

A penalty against Chevrolet drivers for changing their engines pushed Franchitti, in a slump so far this season, into the top starting spot alongside the 21-year-old rookie.

Newgarden, an eager star-in- the-making seemingly called his shot after Saturday qualifying, when he suggested in a news conference that he might try to pass Franchitti at the start because the veteran wouldn't expect such a bold move.

Bad move, kid.

While Newgarden tried to get past the champ, Franchitti quickly closed the door, and everyone has a different opinion on whether there was contact between the two. Franchitti, who called the move "fairly brave," said there was no contact. But Newgarden ended up in a tire barrier, his race over.

Newgarden, who contended he "got touched on the exit," stayed above the fray, saying he would think about what he wanted to do differently in the future.

Things weren't so civil later when the contact between Andretti and Rahal caused a violent wreck.

Both drivers thought the other was at fault, and Rahal seemed to bristle at Andretti claiming he'd been chopped.

"What's Marco's last name?" Rahal asked. "I've said enough."

The two young American drivers have the most famous last names in American open- wheel racing, and both of their fathers were champions. Perhaps this could be the rivalry that every racing series needs to thrive. Although Franchitti and Will Power have bickered at times during their battles the past two years, they lack the contempt for each other needed to spark a real interest in fans.

IndyCar officials were reviewing Monday why Andretti's car went airborne - this year's new car has features that were supposed to prevent it from launching - and determining if either driver made an egregious maneuver to cause the wreck.

New race director Beaux Barfield didn't issue a call in that accident; nor did he sanction Franchitti at the start. He also didn't penalize Simon Pagenaud for hitting a tire on pit road, ruling Pagenaud hit the tire to avoid hitting another car.

However, Barfield did issue penalties against E.J. Viso, Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay for "avoidable contact." Hunter-Reay's was a biggie - he spun Takuma Sato on the last lap, ruining what should have been a podium finish for Sato. But Hunter-Reay didn't inherit the third-place finish: The penalty dropped him in the field and teammate James Hinchcliffe was the benefactor, jumping two spots in the finishing order for his first career podium.

There was some grumbling from the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team as to why Dixon, who entered the race second in the standings, wasn't towed back to pit road when his car stopped 27 laps into the race. The team wanted a chance to see if the car could be fixed and return to the race, but Dixon instead was stuck sitting with his disabled vehicle for the remaining 58 laps.

And then there was Chevrolet, back in IndyCar after a six-year hiatus.

The manufacturer celebrated its return to the series by crushing rival manufacturer Honda in the first two events. Then a problem with budding star Hinchcliffe's engine caused a slight panic for Chevrolet officials, who yanked the engines from all 11 teams when they arrived at Long Beach on Thursday.

The ensuing rules-based, punishment a loss of 10 spots on the starting grid, and pulling the engines put all the Chevrolet drivers in a deep hole.

Despite it, Chevrolet driver Power picked his way through traffic from the 12th position, masterfully stretched a final tank of fuel, then held off Honda driver Pagenaud to move both Penske and the manufacturer to a perfect three wins in three races.